Setting up a Rubbermaid 300 gallon stock tank with underlayment and pond liner
- Thread starter 2bfishy2
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I just found out that ATI has changed the base and they all look like that now. They have gravel in the base of these. Do any of you guys use the new ATI sponge filters and what do you think of the new base? Is it as good or better than the original ones or is it worse?
I've had this 150 Gal set up for about 4 years.
Ages ago I had a 300 gal set up for 7 or 8 years. And moved 4 or 5 times with it.
I've never considered putting a liner in them and haven't had any reason to consider it. You've already got it in and doing so doesn't compromise anything. So it's just another layer of overkill. But sharing info for anyone else considering it.
Ages ago I had a 300 gal set up for 7 or 8 years. And moved 4 or 5 times with it.
I've never considered putting a liner in them and haven't had any reason to consider it. You've already got it in and doing so doesn't compromise anything. So it's just another layer of overkill. But sharing info for anyone else considering it.
Years ago these stock tanks were practically bullet proof, but now the quality isn't there any more. I have seen on several forums and reddit that people are saying that these Rubbermaid stock tanks are no longer built to last. They say after a few months or so the tanks will crack at the seams and leak. The stock tank I got at Tractor Supply had seams that looked sketchy, that is why I put a pond liner in the tank. Peace of mind for me since this is in my basement.
I love that set-up! Do you have that shelving unit standing in the stocktank, or is it on some kind of shelf extending over top? I'm thinking that would look terrific with one or more climbing vine-like plants twining all over it, with their roots in the water.
OP, you mention that the seams looked suspect on your tank. I don't recall any seams on my Rubbermaid tanks, and I just looked at their website which claims they are utilize seamless construction. The structural foam is tough as nails and apparently has not changed in formulation at all.
Are the bad reports you have found coming from people using these tanks for fish, or from farmers using them as actual stock tanks? The abuse that is heaped upon a stock tank by actual livestock out in a pasture far exceeds, by several orders of magnitude, anything your tank will experience sitting on a smooth level concrete floor in your basement. None of my current stocktanks are Rubbermaids, they are assorted other brands, most of which I scooped up for free or very inexpensively from local farmers, who in many cases were upgrading...to Rubbermaid.
The three tanks I have that were purchased new from farm supply houses nearby were all on sale for much less than Rubbermaids. I felt that the use I would be putting them to is extremely unlikely to contribute to failure; but if not for the significant price difference I would absolutely have gone with the Rubbermaid product.
Just google 300 gallon rubbermaid stock tanks cracking and leaking and you will see several fish keepers are reporting these tanks having serious quality issues and some are saying that these tanks aren't even lasting a year before they start leaking.
That is really awesome with all those plants. Are there any fish in there? or is it all plants?
